Effectiveness of the Corrective Babbling Speech Treatment Program for Children with a History of Cleft Palate or Velopharyngeal Dysfunction

Abstract

Objective

To investigate the effectiveness of a phonetic-based, parent-administered treatment to reduce cleft-related speech errors.

Design

Immediate treatment (IT) versus delayed treatment (DT) comparison followed by analysis of gains over approximately 4 months and again after a longer period of treatment for participants in both groups.

Participants

Thirteen participants with a history of cleft palate or velopharyngeal dysfunction and speech disorder.

Intervention

After training, parents were instructed to conduct daily 10-minute sessions of phonetic drills with their children.

Main Outcome Measures

Group differences in percent consonants correct (PCC) were compared between those who did and those who did not receive the treatment. Pre- and posttreatment PCC comparisons were made after approximately 4 months of treatment and after termination of treatment.

Results

Participants receiving Corrective Babbling therapy showed significant gains in PCC in limited contexts after 4 months of therapy. However, gains were not significantly greater for the IT versus DT group. Participants who continued with the treatment for longer than 4 months showed the greatest gains in PCC and had significant improvements in all speech contexts assessed. Parents reported satisfaction with the program.

Conclusions

The results of this study indicate that this treatment shows promise for at least some children with a history of cleft palate and velopharyngeal dysfunction.

Keywords

cleft palate velopharyngeal dysfunction speech sound disorder intervention efficacy parent-administered therapy Corrective Babbling program

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bessell

Sell

Whiting

Roulstone

Albery

Persson

Verhoeven

Burke

Ness

A.R.

Speech and language therapy interventions with cleft palate: a systematic review. Am Cleft Palate Craniofac J. March 2012; epub ahead of print.

Broen

P.A.

Westman

M.J.

Project parent: a preschool speech program implemented by parents. J Speech Hear Disord. 1990; 55: 495–502.

Chapman

K.L.

Phonological processes in children with cleft palate. Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 1993; 30: 64–72.

Chapman

K.L.

Hardin-Jones

Schulte

Kalter

K.A.

Vocal development of 9-month-old babies with cleft palate. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2001; 44: 1268–1283.

Christie

McIntyre

Burnham

An evaluation of group parent training as an alternative method of treatment for articulation impairment. Aust J Human Comm Disord. 1991; 19: 3–22.

Dodd

Barker

The efficacy of utilizing parents and teachers as agents of therapy for children with phonological disorders. Aust J Comm Disord. 1990; 18: 29–45.

Eiserman

Weber

McCoun

Two alternative program models for serving speech-disordered preschoolers: a second year follow-up. J Comm Disord. 1992; 25: 77–106.

Gibbon

Hardcastle

W.J.

Crampin

Reynolds

Razell

Wilson

Visual feedback therapy using electropalatography (EPG) for articulation disorders associated with cleft palate. Asia Pac J Speech Lang Hear. 2001; 6: 53–58.

Golding-Kushner

Therapy Techniques for Cleft Palate Speech and Related Disorders. San Diego: Singular; 2001.

10.

Goldman

Fristoe

The Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation-2. San Antonio, TX: Pearson Education; 2000.

11.

Henningsson

Kuehn

Sell

Sweeney

Trost-Cardamone

Whitehill

Universal parameters for reporting speech outcomes in individuals with cleft palate. Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2008; 45: 1–17.

12.

International Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics Association (ICPLA). extIPA symbols for disordered speech, 2008. Available at: http://www.langsci.ucl.ac.uk/ipa/extIPAChart2008.pdf. Accessed August 14, 2013.

13.

International Phonetic Association (IPA). International Phonetic Alphabet. 2005. Available at: http://www.langsci.ucl.ac.uk/ipa/ipachart.html. Accessed August 14, 2013.

14.

Jobe

D'Mello

Sanjay

Speech understandability of repaired cleft palate patients pre and post caregiver training. Indian J Plast Surg. 2007; 2: 122–128.

15.

Jobe

Dobbelsteyn

Kay-Raining Bird

Corrective Babbling Speech Training Manual and Workbook. English version. Santa Cruz, CA: RSF-Earthspeak; 2009.

16.

Jobe

A.L.

Jobe

R.P.

Speech Training Manual: A Speech Training Tool for Children and Adults with Surgically Corrected Cleft Lip/Palate. English version. Scotts Valley, CA: RSF-Earthspeak; 2005.

17.

John

Sell

Sweeney

Harding-Bell

Williams

The cleft audit protocol for speech-augmented: a validated and reliable measure for auditing cleft speech. Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2006; 43: 272–281.

18.

Jones

Hardcastle

New developments in EPG3 software. Int J Comm Disord. 1995; 30: 183–192.

19.

Kuehn

D.P.

Moller

K.T.

Speech and language issues in the cleft palate population: state of the art. Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2000; 37: 1–35.

20.

Kummer

A.W.

Speech therapy for errors secondary to cleft palate and velopharyngeal dysfunction. Semin Speech Lang. 2011; 32: 191–198.

21.

Lee

Law

Gibbon

Electropalatography for articulation disorders associated with cleft palate. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD006854. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006854.pub2.

22.

Lohmander

Henriksson

Havstam

Electropalatography in home training of retracted articulation in a Swedish child with cleft palate: effect on articulation patterns and speech. Int J Speech Lang Pathol. 2010; 12: 483–496.

23.

McCabe

Bradley

Systematic multiple phonemic approach to articulation therapy. Acta Symbolica. 1975; 6: 1–18.

24.

Michi

Yamashita

Imai

Suzuki

Yoshida

Role of visual feedback treatment for defective /s/ sounds in participants with cleft palate. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 1993; 36: 277–285.

25.

Pamplona

Ysunza

Espinosa

A comparative trial of two modalities of speech intervention for compensatory articulation in cleft palate children, phonological approach versus articulatory approach. Int JPediatr Otorhin. 1999; 49: 21–26.

26.

Pamplona

Ysunza

Patiño

Ramírez

Drucker

Mazón

Speech summer camp for treating articulation disorders in cleft palate patients. Int J Pediatr Otorhin. 2005; 69: 351–359.

27.

Peterson-Falzone

Hardin-Jones

Karneil

Cleft Palate Speech. St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier; 2010.

28.

Peterson-Falzone

Trost-Cardamone

Karnell

Hardin-Jones

The Clinician's Guide to Treating Cleft Palate Speech. St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier; 2006.

29.

Scherer

D'Antonio

McGahey

Early intervention for speech impairment in children with cleft palate. Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2008; 45: 18–31.

30.

Shriberg

L.D.

Kwiatkowski

Phonological disorders III: a procedure for assessing severity of involvement. J Speech Hear Disord. 1982; 47: 256–270.

31.

Stokes

S.F.

Whitehill

T.L.

Yuen

K.C.P.

Tsui

A.M.Y.

EPG treatment of sibilants in two Cantonese-speaking children with cleft palate. Clin Linguist Phon. 1996; 10: 265–280.

32.

Trost

J.E.

Apraxia of speech: diagnostic assessment and treatment approaches. Presented at the Illinois Speech and Hearing Association Annual Meeting; November, 1973; Arlington Heights, IL.

33.

Trost-Cardamone

Kuehn

Universal parameters for speech outcome: practice in scoring, listening and transcribing. Study Session presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association; April, 2007; Pittsburgh, PA.

34.

Van Demark

D.R.

Hardin Jones

M.A.

Effectiveness of intensive articulation therapy for children with cleft palate. Cleft Palate J. 1986; 23: 215–224.